The spirit of New Orleans is set to arrive in downtown Kent with the inaugural Kent Mardi Crawl Friday.

Participants will make their way to different bars downtown throughout the night, collecting beads and masks at each location, according to the event’s website. The night will begin at Venice Cafe at 5 p.m., where attendees can participate in a costume contest as well as pick up their bar crawl lanyards and passes. Guests who visit at least five out of the 10 participating locations, including spots such as The Loft and Water Street Tavern, can enter to win a prize provided by Main Street Kent.  

“We really enjoy creating fun opportunities for people to explore our downtown, and we think the Mardi Gras theme will be a real draw,” said Heather Malarcik, the executive director of Main Street Kent.

Part of the proceeds from the event will go to Main Street Kent, with a portion designated to Freedom House, a transitional housing facility for homeless veterans in northeast Ohio.

The event is open to guests 21 and over, and tickets can be purchased on EventBrite.

Lily Nickel is a business and downtown reporter. Contact her at [email protected]